The Pesky Appendix Dilemma
by ShamyBabboos
Summary: Sheldon is feeling pain in his abdomen again and this time. . . it really is his appendix causing the problem! Some Shamy fluff! One-shot.


Hey everyone! So I posted this story on tumblr (Shamybabboos) before even thinking of posting it here due to nervousness, but decided this was worthy of being posted here as well! It is indeed Shamy but not very romantic, it's more or less comfort! I hope you all enjoy as this was a fun oneshot to write!

**Constructive** criticism is welcome and appreciated, as long as it isn't rude!

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It started with the occasional pain. It wasn't so much a bad pain as it was annoying and distracting. Starting in his lower abdomen, Sheldon had felt similar pain in this area before when he had eaten too many brussel sprouts, but this was more prolonged; and getting worse. It was now in it's tenth hour and he was now paranoid. Not only this, he was occasionally nauseous and now running a low-grade fever. Usually he would be in bed, wallowing in his illness but something told him it would go away on its own in time. It was Pizza Night in the apartment and Sheldon found it difficult to stomach the food in front of him; Amy was the first to notice this odd behavior and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"Sheldon, are you alright?" He shrugged and looked at her, turning slightly in his spot, his eyes full of a growing worry. Amy twisted herself to look back to him, emeralds looking into sapphire blue eyes at full attention.

"I'm not entirely sure. I have dull pain in my lower right abdomen," He placed his hand where it was, to the right of his navel and gently pressed, causing him to wince, "I have a fever of 99.3, and I get occasionally nauseated." He added, concern in his voice.

She placed the heel of her hand on his forehead, checking his temperature; it was true he was running slightly warmer than his usual, but only barely. "Do you think you're sick?" At that the rest of their friends raised their heads and gave a look of pure horror; not code milky-green! They relaxed when Sheldon shook his head.

"Oddly enough, no; other than the pain, nausea and fever I feel completely fine. No chills, aches or the like. . . it's quite an anomaly. I've ruled out eating chrysanthemums blossoms as the cause as well as an alien parasite. . ."

"You might have gas again. Remember the brussel sprouts? It seems a lot like that could be the case." Leonard teased, chewing on his pizza and Sheldon blushed, embarrassed, before regaining his composure.

"Leonard if I thought it was trapped gas I would've taken medicine for it by now."

"Well, how long has it lasted?" Howard asked as he took a bite of his crust.

"Ten hours, thirty-seven minutes." He answered then reached for the area of pain and winced. Another throb of pain coursed through his belly. "And it seems to be getting worse the longer it endures."

Amy had gotten up and returned with two NSAIDs and handed it to him. "Try these, it could be a small inflamed area, if it doesn't get better by tomorrow morning we'll go to the doctor's." Sheldon nodded and popped the pills into his mouth before gulping down his beverage. Afterwards he ate a few bites of his pizza, only able to stomach about half.

An hour later, the pain seemed to stop, he figured it was due to the inflammatories, but at least he was able to enjoy the rest of the night with Amy and the others. After dinner, they played wii bowling, skiing and boxing and the pain was nearly forgotten until bed. Sitting on the bed with Amy, he winced and groaned sharply as he pulled his feet under the blankets. Amy noted this and got under the blankets with him and gently rested a hand on his stomach. It was tense, he must be sick of something. But what?

"Still?" She asked and he could only nod until the sharp twinge of pain subsided. "Well, then I'll take you to the doctor's first thing tomorrow." Usually Sheldon would object due to his germaphobic ways, but he was desperate.

"Alright. . ." Sadly, things couldn't wait until tomorrow.

He woke with a start and the pain that was then dull and an annoyance turned into something unbearable, making him unable to move as if a charlie horse had gotten him. Glancing at the clock on his nightstand, it was now three in the morning, he had suffered this pain for seventeen hours and he went into a panic. He tried sitting up, but couldn't, the pulsing, aching pain radiating from him caused him to be nearly paralyzed; now in the fetal position and groaning loudly as the pain coursed through it like a hot butter through knife; breathing hurt, touching hurt, everything hurt. This wasn't gas, this was something far worse. Amy moaned as she was awakened by Sheldon's painful cries and jumped to his side.

"Sheldon! What's wrong?!" She gently turned him onto his back and he slowly straightened his legs. Amy then gently pressed in several spots is abdomen; his stomach, navel, and his upper pubic mound, the entire area was stiff and it swollen, bloated. When Amy reached the right side just above his hipbone, she knew what it was. His appendix; that vestigial organ that was now useless and causing him to suffer. Practically running off the bed, Amy went to Sheldon's side and helped him out of bed, her arm around his back, which was easier said than done. The physicist soon crumbled to his knees in pain as he elongated from his curled position, looking up at her apologetically and then tried to get up again, only to be stopped short by the crippling pain. _Damn it. . . I need to call Leonard and Penny. . . _

Grabbing her phone from the nightstand, she dialed Penny and when she answered, Amy was met by an annoyed growl. "What is it, Amy?" Amy jumped at her best friend's tones but shook out of it and went on with what was wrong.

"I need help. Sheldon needs to get to the hospital. He needs his appendix taken out," At that Penny gasped and Amy heard her waking Leonard. "I think it's ruptured, I don't know. He can't even stand."

"Oh God, we'll be right there." With that, she hung up. Within minutes, Leonard and Penny were in the apartment. Amy had managed to help Sheldon to the living room. He was doubled over, his face scrunched and fighting back tears. Leonard was already on the phone, calling for an ambulance. He was certain that he or Amy could drive Sheldon, but with the amount of pain he saw Sheldon in, he may need immediate attention.

It took another ten minutes for an ambulance to arrive upstairs and Sheldon's condition had only worsened. He was falling in and out of consciousness and began to throw up into a waste basket. As he was carried outside to the ambulance, Amy stood by his side, not once had her eyes left him. In the ambulance, they put an oxygen mask on him to help him stay conscious and by doing a quick check-up on him, they diagnosed him with a possible ruptured appendix; a diagnosis Amy had already predicted. A fatal infection if it isn't treated in a timely manner. The neurobiologist rode with them in the speeding ambulance as Leonard and Penny followed in the car. Amy was in a state of fear, panic. It was a blur to her, eight hours ago he was walking, talking, standing tall. Now he's on his way to surgery. She let the tears fall as she clung to Sheldon's limp hand. He was still falling in and out as he looked at her. His blue eyes dull and full of tears that had refused to fall. He was scared, she could tell, though he'd never admit to it. She squeezed his hand tighter, which he returned meekly.

They reached the hospital and Sheldon was already being prepped for surgery by the time they went inside, they switched his oxygen mask for one that was releasing the anesthetic and he quickly passed out. Amy, Leonard and Penny were told to wait until he was finished. They were greeted by a nurse who gave Amy a clipboard to fill out Sheldon's information. The RN sat next to Amy to give try and calm her, noting that Amy's hand was shaking and unable to write. Leonard then took the clipboard away and filled out whatever he knew about Sheldon's medical history. Penny hugged her best friend tightly and let her sob. She knew that the chance of Sheldon being okay were high, but the look of fear and pain in her boyfriend's face was too much to bare. She saw the confident, tall man fall first hand. It was fresh in her mind.

It was another three hours until Sheldon was out of surgery. He was okay. His appendix was luckily not completely ruptured, but perforated. The surgeon, a tall, stocky older gentlemen with warm hazel eyes greeted Amy and her friends, an exhausted smile on his face.

"Miss Amy Fowler?" He called as he looked at Sheldon's chart, Amy simply nodded, too exhausted to correct him; _it's Dr. Fowler_. Her eyes were red and puffy and she was still in her red plaid robe, not having the time to change when this all happened. "Sheldon will be fine. He had an intermediate infection from a perforated appendix but the abscess and everything with it was removed. We need to keep a close watch on him for another twenty-four hours or so to make sure the infection is taken care of and healing." Amy nearly fainted in relieve, "Appendicitis is usually easily treated but we want to make sure it won't be a problem. It seemed he got here just in time; it would've been much worse it. He should be waking up soon so I'll take you to him."

Amy stood up and followed the doctor as Leonard and Penny left to call the others. She was nervous to see him, uncertain of the condition he was in. She was lead to his room where she was greeted with a very groggy Sheldon who was shivering with chattering teeth, though the room was plenty warm; a side effect from the anesthetic, she figured. He was covered with about three blanket and his right hand was gently resting on his side where he was just cut open, his left hand was limp off the bed with an IV sticking through it. He turned towards her and let out a drugged moan, his eyes fluttering open more.

"Amy?"

"Hey Sheldon." She was by his side in a heartbeat and sat in the chair at his bedside. "How are you doing?" He groaned again and shivered.

"I'm alright. . ." He paused, his teeth chattered a little bit again. His pupils were huge as he tried to wake up and he wore an oxygen tube around his face. "Amy?" He asked suddenly.

"Yes, Sheldon?"

"You're really pretty." She blushed at that and she was sure it was the pain-killers and grogginess talking, but she accepted it nonetheless.

"Thank you, Sheldon. You're really handsome." Sheldon sleepily smiled at that and winced as he tried moving from the bed, but Amy placed a hand on his arm. "Oh no. You're staying right here." He huffed in frustration.

A couple hours later, Leonard and Penny returned with the rest of their friends. Which greeted Sheldon with small tokens of food and comic books, which he accepted gratefully; if he were to stay there all day, he was going to enjoy it. He removed the blanket from his body and revealed the large bandage on his side, which he affectionately called a 'battle scar'. Amy stayed with him all day and only left his side to change into her daily clothes that were picked up by Penny and Bernadette, as well as her tablet so she could watch netflix with him.

Sheldon let out a long, loud yawn and looked around the hospital room once their friends had left, he desperately wanted to leave this hell-hole and get back home. Though the infection seemed to be dying, he had to stay overnight, which he dreaded. "Amy?"

"Yes, Sheldon?"

"Will you sing Soft Kitty to me?" Amy smiled and nodded. She stood from the chair and gently sat on the open space on his bedside and gently rubbed his stomach, avoiding his right side where he was operated on as she sang to him quietly. He soon drifted off to sleep again with her soothing touch, her voice and the aura of her presence.


End file.
